Sewing thimble



Feb. 9, 1937. c. M. 'GITZEN SEWING THIMBLE Filed Dec. 26, 1935 F O T N E v N ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to a sewing thimble and an object of the invention is to provide a thimble which may be applied and used the same as an ordinary thimble but which present thimble is provided with an end wall so formed that a needle engaged at one end therewith and driven under heavy force applied thereby, cannot slip therefrom and injure the users finger adjacent the one to which the thimble is applied.

It is also an object of the present invention to so shape said end wall of the thimble as to guide the butt or seating end of the needle to seating position thereon without any particular attention on the part of the user or care on his or her part in the placing and holding of the needle; and a further object is to form said end wall with a depression adjacent its periphery and of a formand depth sufiicient to guide the butt or seating end of the needle to seating position therein and to prevent said needle end from slipping out of such depression under driving force applied to the needle by the thimble.

It is also an object to provide a thimble with an annular peripheral end bead of exterior rounded form in cross section, to present an end edge on the thimble with said bead forming the outer side of an annular needle locating groove surrounding a central convexo-concave portion of the thimble end wall, and which portion pro vides an interior end cavity or space at the inner end of the interior of the thimble for the end of the users finger to which the thimble is applied in use, so that the fingernail will not abut said end wall.

5 It is also an object to provide certain other new and useful features, all as hereinafter more fully set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 is an enlarged central section through 40 a thimble illustrative of an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view of a closed end of the thimble shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail of a por- 45 tion of the closed end of the thimble, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrative of the manner in which the present thimble is used.

As shown in Fig. 1 the body of the thimble is of the usual tubular truncated conical form, the

50 wall I of the body being formed at its lower end with a rounded bead 2 with a plain portion above said bead and above this plain portion, the wall is formed with a plurality of small depressions 3 forming a roughened surface as commonly pro- 55 vided on thimbles of the old and well known form. The upper or small end of the body I is closed by an end wall and this end wall is formed integral with the end of the body, said wall being depressed inwardly to form an end bead 4 of rounded form in cross section, this bead forming 5 an annular end. edge on the body, the inner wall 5 of this bead being curved inwardly and downwardly and forming the outer side of an annular groove 6 surrounding a central convexo-concave portion 1 with this portion extending outwardly 10 substantially to the plane of the upper edge of the bead 4, with the inner side of said groove forming a continuation of the convex portion I,

so that one side of the annular groove 6 is formed by the wall 5 and the other side by the convex 15 portion 1 of said end wall. The convexo-concave wall I merges into the wall 5 in a curved form, providing a rounding bottom for the groove 6 and a smooth rounded surface inside the thimble, the concavity at the inner side of the portion 1 of 0 the end wall, forming a cupped recess 8 at the closed end of the thimble, said recess providinga space to receive the end of the persons finger to which the thimble is applied, so that the fingernail will not abut the end wall of the thimble and 25 cause discomfiture or irritation.

The inner surface of the groove 6, and also the entire surface of the convex side of the convexity l, is all formed with a plurality of small depressions 9 forming a roughened surface to prevent 30 the butt end ill of a needle H from slipping or sliding in contact therewith when rested thereon.

With the usual form of thimble where the end closure is of either fiat or convex form, the butt end of the needle placed thereagainst is quite liable to slip off from the end wall of the thimble under the heavy pressure applied to the needle by the thimble, and should the needle so slip, the finger of the personss hand which finger is adjacent that to which the thimble is applied, is liable to be injured by the needle. This often occurs in using a thimble of the ordinary construction.

In using applicants thimble, the butt end of the needle finds a seat within the groove 6 and as this groove surface is roughened, the needle will not slip in the direction of the length of the groove, and in placing the thimble against the butt end of the needle in sewing, it is not necessary that the user give any particular attention to the placing of the needle against the thimble as no matter where the needle is engaged with the end wall of the thimble inwardly of the annular bead 4, the needle end will find a proper seat against the bottom or sides of the groove 6,

this due to the shape of the walls of the groove and to the convexity of the central portion. The needle may also seat upon this convex central surface also, the same as in using an ordinary thimble.

If there were no inner central concavity or recess 8 at the inner end of thimble, in placing the thimble upon the finger, the fingernail would be liable to engage the end wall and cause discomfort to the user, but this cavity 8 provides a space at the center of the end wall into which the fingernail may project without engaging the wall, and as the body l of the thimble is formedin the usual manner without exterior ribs throughout its length, the thimble may be used in the manner of an ordinary thimble without irritate ing the finger adjacent the finger 'towhichthe thimble is applied. The rounded annular head 41 forming the end edge of the thimble is pitted or roughened and provides an end ridge to engage the needle and prevent slipping, and as the exterior of the end wall of the thimble is pitted and said wall is formed with the groove 6 at one side of which is located the bead 4 and at the other side. of which is the convex portion of the end wall, the needle end will always find a seat no--matter at what angle the needle may be held as, should it come in contact with the convex portion of the wall, it will seat thereon or be guided thereby into the groove, and if it comes into contact with the outer wall 5 of the groove, this wall will form an abrupt abutment for the end of the needle, which will prevent the needle from sliding from the end of the thimble over the bead 4, as this Wall 5 is extended longitudinally of the thimble a short distance in a plane substantially parallel with the axis of the thimble.

A thimble is thus provided against which the butt end of the needle may be placed without attention on the part of the user and the needle willbefirmlyseated and helddue to the shape of this-end walland the depression therein adjacent its periphery .formed by the-annular groove 6.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim is:

l. A sewing thimble including a tubular-body having an end wall closing one end of the body the general direction of the end wall being in a plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said body, said wall being formed with a depression in its outer side adjacent its periphery and with a central convexity forming the inner side of said depression.

2. A sewing thimble comprising a tubular body having an end wall formed with an annular groove in its outer side adjacent to and inwardly from the periphery of the end of said tubular body, said groove extending in a plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said body.

3. A sewing thimble including a tubular body of truncated conical form having an end wall closing the end of said body, said end wall being in the general direction of a plane at right angles to the longitudinal axisv of said body, said Wall being formed with a central convexity and with an annular groove in its outer side encircling said convexity.

4. A sewing thimble comprising a tubular body 'oi,,truncated conical form having an end wall g and closingthe truncated end of said body and formed with a central externally convex portion I and an annular groove surrounding said portion,

the outer side wall of said groove forming a continuation of the peripheral truncated end of the conical wall of said body.

5; A sewing thimble comprising a tubular body having an end wall closing one end of said body and extending in the general direction of a plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said body, said end wall being formed with a central convexo-concave portion forming an annular peripheral groove conforming to the circle of said end of the tubular Wall of the body and encircling said central portion with the wall of said portion merging into and forming the inner side of said groove, the convex surface of said central, portion of said end wall and the surface of said groove being roughened to prevent the butt end of a needle seated thereon from slipping, said groove lying in a plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said body.

6. A sewing thimble comprising a truncated conical tubular body having an end wall closing said truncated endofsaid body, said end wall being formed with a peripheral groove with theouter; sideof said groove forming an end edge bead conforming to the truncated end of thewall of said body, said end wall being also formed-with a central convexo-concave portion merging into and forming the inner side of said groove, the outer side of said groove forming a wallextending inwardly substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of said body, and the concave side of said central portion forming an end recess at the inner end of the interior of said body directly opposite the extreme end of the finger to which the thimble is applied.

CORA M. GITZEN. 

